Star Trek: 10 Best Holodeck Episodes

Thanks to the existence of holodecks in Star Trek, holodeck addiction became an issue that needed to be dealt with. One of the most prominent sufferers of this illness was Reginald Barclay, a crew member on the Enterprise-D and a talented engineer working under Geordi LaForge.

Though he had been on the Enterprise for a while, this episode was the first one Barclay appeared in. It did not go well at first. Barclay's addiction to the holodeck crippled him at every turn. He was unfocused, unreliable and constantly late. In the real world, he was a nervous man who was intimidated by everyone. In the holodeck, he was the man.

Barclay created a world in the holodeck that utilized in the people he encountered, and almost feared, on a daily basis. He used the likenesses of everyone around him including Riker, Troi and more, often in exaggerated and insulting ways. It was a huge no-no that almost got him relieved of duty. But his friends stepped in and helped him beat his addiction, making him a more valuable member of the team.

This was an interesting way to attack the issue of addiction to media, something people are suffering from more than ever today. When Barclay eventually re-appeared in the later episodes of Voyager, he admitted to Deanna Troi that he had experienced a relapse. Once again, she stepped in and helped him through this situation.